Resonant ionization polarization spectroscopy in uranium

Abstract

The authors report on measurements of the angular momentum of an autoionizing level of uranium obtained by using the technique of resonant ionization polarization spectroscopy. This requires that the ion yield is measured as a function of the polarizations of the several lasers used to excite the autoionizing level through a ladder of intermediate resonant bound states. The angular momentum of the autoionizing level can be obtained from only relative measurements, the source density need not be known. Results are in good agreement with a more extensive study of the excitation ladder reported elsewhere, but, in contrast to that study, give unambiguous information on the autoionizing level angular momentum.